Akaunting vs InvoiceShelf (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Akaunting grades higher than InvoiceShelf: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Akaunting grades higher on ease of use and platforms. InvoiceShelf grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Akaunting
Open-source accounting you can host yourself or use in the cloud
InvoiceShelf
Open-source invoicing and expense tracking you host yourself
Which one is for you
Pick Akaunting if
- Fits if you want to own and host your accounting data yourself
- Works for you if you keep the books for several small companies, with 10 on Premium
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you've never run a server and want the free edition
- Tight if you stay on Standard Cloud, which has no double-entry reports or bank feeds
- Pricey if you self-host and need lots of apps, since none are included and each is bought
- Tight if you need payroll, inventory, projects or estimates, which need Elite Cloud at $56 or paid apps
- Watch out: the free edition has forum support only, and the cloud trial's length isn't stated
Pick InvoiceShelf if
- Fits if you bill clients regularly and can run your own server
- Works for German B2B sellers who need ZUGFeRD or Factur-X files
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a full double-entry ledger, as it covers invoicing and expenses only
- Not for you if you don't want to run PHP, since security updates are yours
- Watch out: support is a community on Discord, with no paid help
- Tight if you take card payments other than Stripe, the only one named
- Watch out: it needs a server you pay for
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAAkauntingFair | 2.0GPAInvoiceShelfFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe entry prices leave out the main parts. Self-hosting is free or $72 a year and Standard Cloud is $8 a month, but double-entry and bank feeds start on Premium Cloud at $24 a month yearly, about this category's middle. | CFree under AGPL-3.0 with no seat limits, but it only counts as free if you host it, which needs a server. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe open-source edition is free, but you run it on your own server, and it's 1 company, 1 user plus an accountant and 1,000 invoices, with no double-entry reports or bank feeds. Cloud plans have a trial of unstated length. | BEvery feature is free and unlimited, once you've installed it yourself. |
| Features | CInvoices, bills, sales tax, currencies and reports in the core, with double-entry, bank feeds, payroll, inventory and projects as apps. The listing's own notes say the free and cheapest plans go without the ledger and bank feeds. | CInvoices, estimates, recurring billing, expenses, multi-company and ZUGFeRD e-invoicing. The listing says it isn't a full ledger. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You either sign up for the cloud version or set up your own server, then choose which apps to add before the books are complete. That's a learning curve. | DInstalled with Docker or by hand on your own server, with updates yours to apply. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with no phone or desktop app. It connects to Shopify, Stripe and Google, and has bank feeds in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. | CWeb only, and Stripe is the one online payment option named. |
| Best for | open-source books you can host yourself | self-hosted invoicing and expenses |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Akaunting and InvoiceShelf. How we grade
Price against what you get
Akaunting starts at $6 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. InvoiceShelf has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
Akaunting scores higher, and starts $6 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 7 score higher than Akaunting for less, and none scores higher than InvoiceShelf for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Akaunting also covers bookkeeping.
- InvoiceShelf also covers quotes and estimates.
At a glance
| Akaunting | InvoiceShelf | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $72 per year, self-hosted | Free |
| Free plan | Standard On-Premise: the free, open-source edition you host yourself, for 1 company, 1 user plus 1 accountant and 1,000 invoices, with forum support. Apps cost extra. | Fully free to self-host under AGPL-3.0, with unlimited invoices and estimates and no seat limits. |
| Free trial | Free trial of each cloud plan; the length is not stated | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Akaunting | InvoiceShelf |
| Price read from | akaunting.com | invoiceshelf.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Akaunting
- The free self-hosted edition and Standard Cloud lack double-entry reports and bank feeds; those come from Premium Cloud or as paid apps.
- Self-hosted plans include no apps at all; Elite and Ultimate On-Premise cost $168 and $684 a year before any apps.
- Payroll, inventory, projects and estimates need Elite Cloud or separate app purchases on lower plans.
- The free self-hosted edition is supported only through the community forum; ticket support comes with the paid plans.
InvoiceShelf
- It covers invoicing, expenses and payments, not a full double-entry ledger.
- Self-hosting means you handle PHP and security updates; the 2.4.7 release notes describe a PHP security fix.
- Support is through the community on Discord.
- Stripe is the online card payment option the site names.
Key features
Akaunting
- Invoices, bills and payments
- Unlimited customers, vendors and products, recurring payment reminders, sales tax calculation and multiple currencies on every plan.
- Double-entry accounting
- Chart of accounts, general ledger, balance sheet, trial balance and manual journals come with the Double-Entry app, included from Premium Cloud.
- Bank feeds
- Connect bank accounts in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Europe to import transactions; included from Premium Cloud.
- App store
- 50+ apps add payroll with payslips, inventory, projects, CRM, expense claims and more. Self-hosted plans include no apps, so each is bought.
- Multiple companies
- Run the books of several businesses from one account: 10 on Premium, 30 on Elite and unlimited on Ultimate.
- Self-hosting
- Install it on your own server with the source code available, and Akaunting says it collects none of your financial data.
InvoiceShelf
- Invoices and estimates
- Builds branded invoices and estimates with custom fields, taxes and notes.
- Recurring billing
- Retainers and subscriptions are scheduled once and repeat invoices are generated automatically.
- Expenses and reports
- Tracks expenses, sales, taxes and overdue balances, with multi-currency support listed.
- Customer portal
- Clients get a private place to view, download and pay invoices.
- Multiple companies
- Several businesses can run from one install, each with its own branding, currency and tax rules.
- E-invoicing
- An E-Invoicing module issues ZUGFeRD and Factur-X invoices for EN 16931; the site labels it new in 3.0.
Plans
Akaunting
Standard On-Premise$0
Free and open source, hosted on your own server. 1 company, 1 user plus 1 accountant, 1,000 invoices and forum support.
Premium On-Premise$72
per year, self-hosted
Hosted on your own server. 10 companies, 10 users, 10,000 invoices and ticket support. Apps are bought separately. $756 as a one-time lifetime license.
Standard Cloud$8
per month, billed yearly
$12 billed monthly. Hosted by Akaunting for 1 company, 1 user plus 1 accountant and 1,000 invoices, with 4 apps included.
Premium Cloud$24
per month, billed yearly
$36 billed monthly. 10 companies, 10 users and 10,000 invoices, adding double-entry, bank feeds, expense claims, roles and a client portal.
Elite Cloud$56
per month, billed yearly
$84 billed monthly. 30 companies, 30 users and 30,000 invoices, adding estimates, payroll, projects, inventory, CRM, receipt scanning, Shopify and Stripe.
Ultimate Cloud$145
per month, billed yearly
$218 billed monthly. Unlimited companies, users and invoices, and all 50+ apps, including budgeting, purchase orders, point of sale and 1099 tools.
InvoiceShelf
Self-hosted$0
Every feature is free; you install it with Docker or a manual install on your own server.
Ways to pay less
Akaunting
- Annual discount
4 months free with yearly cloud billing
Yearly billing brings Standard Cloud from $12 to $8 a month, Premium from $36 to $24, Elite from $84 to $56 and Ultimate from $218 to $145.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime licenses for the self-hosted plans
Pay once instead of yearly: $756 for Premium On-Premise, $1,764 for Elite and $7,224 for Ultimate.
InvoiceShelf
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Akaunting or InvoiceShelf?
As of Nov 13, 2026, InvoiceShelf is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $6 a month when paid by the year for Akaunting. Akaunting starts at $72 per year, self-hosted, and InvoiceShelf is free.
Which has a free plan, Akaunting or InvoiceShelf?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Akaunting and InvoiceShelf have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.